מְנַחֵם
𐤌𐤍𐤇𐤌
Menachem
H4505 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name meaning 'comforter' or 'one who offers comfort,' derived from a verbal participle. Designates an individual whose character or vocational role is linked to the act of comforting, consoling, or bringing relief. Most notably, this name occurs as that of a ninth-century BCE Israelite king.
Semantic Range
'one who comforts,' 'comforter,' a personal name designating one characterized by comforting, as used specifically for an Israelite king; as a participle, can mean 'comforter' or 'consoler' in a broader sense, though in the Hebrew Bible functioning strictly as a proper name.
Root / Etymology
From the root נָחַם (nacham), meaning 'to comfort, to console, to show compassion.' The word מְנַחֵם (menachêm) is the piel participle form, meaning 'comforter' or 'one who comforts.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְנַחֵם occurs as a proper name for Menachem (often Menahem in English transliteration), the son of Gadi, who became king over (northern) Israel (2 Kings 15:14-22) during the monarchic period. There is no indication that this name carried any particular religious or messianic expectation in the biblical period. Later, in rabbinic and post-biblical literature, מְנַחֵם sometimes acquires connotations associated with broader 'comfort' or hope, but this is not present in biblical usage. English translations typically transliterate the name as Menahem or Menachem, but the meaning 'comforter' remains implicit. The participial form is common in Hebrew names, indicating ongoing or characteristic action. The name is not etymologically related to other names like Nehemiah (נְחֶמְיָה), though both are patterned from the same root but with different formations and semantic focuses.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָחַם; comforter; Menachem, an Israelite; Menahem.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נחם (n-ḥ-m) — to comfort, to console, to show compassion
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5100 | נְהָמָה | like roaring of |
| H5149 | נְחוּם | Comforted One |
| H5150 | נִחוּם | my consolations |
| H5151 | נַחוּם | Comforted-one |
| H5162 | נָחַם | I will deeply comfort you |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4505-01 |
מְנַחֵ֨ם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter | 8 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:14 | מְנַחֵ֨ם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:16 | מְ֠נַחֵם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:17 | מְנַחֵ֨ם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:19 | מְנַחֵם֙ | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:20 | מְנַחֵ֨ם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:21 | מְנַחֵ֖ם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:22 | מְנַחֵ֖ם | menachem | HNp |
Menahem | Comforter |
H4505-01 |
2 Kings 15:23 | מְנַחֵ֧ם | menachem | HNp |
of Menahem | Comforter |